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The Impact of Bo Jackson’s Hip Injury on the 1991 AFC Championship


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This might be a bit out there, but it is definitely topical.  The reporting of the initial Tua injury today is that it’s the same hip injury that ended Bo Jackson’s NFL career.  
 

Up until now, I completely forgot that his injury happened the week before the AFC Championship game with the Bills.  That Oakland Raiders team was very good and easily the 2nd best team in the AFC.

 

The Bills did beat them earlier in the season but Bo was not playing yet and a few fluky things happened.  
 

If you remember Bo Jackson was on a freaking tear in 1989 and 1990 average over 5 yards per carry.  Coupled with Marcus Allen and talents like Willie Gault and Tim Brown made a meh QB like Jay Schroeder look decent.  
 

What I’m wondering is - do you think that the game’s outcome is different if Bo Jackson was playing in that football game.  Based on his performance weeks earlier, I feel he’s certainly someone the the defense would need to game plan around.  
 

It’s interesting to think about because if the Bills don’t win in 1991, do they ever reach another Super Bowl?   It always seemed to me that the crushing way they lost at SB25 always motivated them to try to get back to the big game. In

Edited by Phil The Thrill
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Speculation about whether Bo would play in that game dominated the coverage that week.

 

The public literally did not know he was even out until gameday.

 

Yes it would have made the game much more competitive but the Bills were still going to score a TD against that suspect Raiders D just about every time they touched the ball.

 

Bo playing might have even helped toughen up the Bills run D in the long run because they hadn't had the ball run on them in about 2 months prior to that SB.

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17 minutes ago, BADOLBILZ said:

Yes it would have made the game much more competitive but the Bills were still going to score a TD against that suspect Raiders D just about every time they touched the ball.

 

What I remember is the Raiders defense needing to call a time out during the first series because they couldn't keep up with the Bills speed. I looked for the play by play to verify that, but couldn't find it. Instead I found this article with these quotes....

 

https://www.democratandchronicle.com/story/sports/football/nfl/bills/2014/12/20/bills-raiders-afc-championship-game/20694577/


 

Quote

 

The Bills won the opening coin toss — no surprise on this day — and they proceeded to run their no-huddle offense to perfection. They had the Raiders gasping so badly for air that after Buffalo had advanced 55 yards in five lightning-quick plays, the Raiders called timeout to regroup and catch their collective breath.

...

Said Kelly: "I remember (Raiders defensive lineman) Howie Long telling me on that drive, 'Come on, Jim, slow down.' "

 

 

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31 minutes ago, JR in Pittsburgh said:

I think it would have been dramatically different. Instead of 51-3, I’m thinking it’s easily 51-10 with Bo in there. ?

My immediate thought was the 1940 NFL championship game where the Bears beat Washington 73-0. On Washington's first possession a receivor dropped a pass in the endzone that would have been a touchdown. The Bears dominated the rest of the game. After the game a reporter asked Redskins quarterback Sammy Baugh if the game would have ended different had Malone had caught the pass. Baugh replied "Sure. We would have lost 73-7."

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25 minutes ago, atlbillsfan1975 said:

It was an incredible game to watch as a Bills fan. 
no way Bo changes the outcome. If you want to argue the game is closer because Bo plays, I’d welcome that. Maybe the Bill players would of focused a little more for the Super Bowl.

 

 

Yeah the Bills weren't going to lose but after the Bills scored a TD the Raiders came right down the field and got inside the Bills 25 yard line and ended up kicking a FG.

 

If Jackson was available they might have been able to score a few TD's.

 

 Jackson was rounding into the best form of his career and would have been fun to see on the big stage.   But like I said the Bills were going to score every time they touched the ball and they might have just ended up winning 63-28 or something.    A game more like the week before against Miami.

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7 hours ago, Phil The Thrill said:

This might be a bit out there, but it is definitely topical.  The reporting of the initial Tua injury today is that it’s the same hip injury that ended Bo Jackson’s NFL career. 

....

 

Your post is a bit out there.  Perhaps might have been better posted under @Thundersttike ?  How many times did Raiders turn the ball over that day? 7 times...  That’s what did them in.  It wasn’t a lack of a running game.

 

Also, Bo Jackson had osteonecrosis of the hip  that necessitated hip replacement.   I haven’t read anywhere that this happened to Tua. If it did, his football career would be over.

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7 hours ago, BADOLBILZ said:

 

Speculation about whether Bo would play in that game dominated the coverage that week.

 

The public literally did not know he was even out until gameday.

 

Yes it would have made the game much more competitive but the Bills were still going to score a TD against that suspect Raiders D just about every time they touched the ball.

 

Bo playing might have even helped toughen up the Bills run D in the long run because they hadn't had the ball run on them in about 2 months prior to that SB.


Good point - I never thought of that.  Bo runs all over the defense and the Bills realize they have an issue on defense before Super Bowl XXV

6 hours ago, I am the egg man said:

Like asking what if Jim Kelly couldn't play that game and there was a snowstorm at kickoff.

 

It's the way it goes and a silly supposition.

 


Yeah this is all hypothetical but it’s fun to imagine what could have happened

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10 minutes ago, prissythecat said:

....

 

Your post is a bit out there.  Perhaps might have been better posted under @Thundersttike ?  How many times did Raiders turn the ball over that day? 7 times...  That’s what did them in.  It wasn’t a lack of a running game.

 

Also, Bo Jackson had osteonecrosis of the hip  that necessitated hip replacement.   I haven’t read anywhere that this happened to Tua. If it did, his football career would be over.


What rock are you living under?  There are all kinds of comparisons to Bo Jackson’s hip injury. 
 

 

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First of all you are referring to the 1990 AFC Championship Game not 1991....the Bills played the Broncos in 1991 and won a low scoring close affair 10-7 in a game where Elway was knocked out and the Bills had one of the worst offensive performances of the K Gun era only putting up 213 total yards...

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20 minutes ago, Phil The Thrill said:


What rock are you living under?  There are all kinds of comparisons to Bo Jackson’s hip injury. 
 

 

Unlike you , I don’t believe everything I read.  Show me an ortho doc who says that Tua has necrosis like Bo Jackson did ..  right now ,  all of the analysis I have seen is superficial and speculation 

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21 minutes ago, matter2003 said:

First of all you are referring to the 1990 AFC Championship Game not 1991....the Bills played the Broncos in 1991 and won a low scoring close affair 10-7 in a game where Elway was knocked out and the Bills had one of the worst offensive performances of the K Gun era only putting up 213 total yards...


No....you are incorrect.  The game we are talking about took place on January 20, 1991.  Hence it is the 1991 AFC Championship game.   The Bills vs Denver AFC Championship game took place on January 12, 1992.

 

While it is sometimes considered the “1990 season,” this game took place in 1991...not 1990

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11 minutes ago, Phil The Thrill said:


No....you are incorrect.  The game we are talking about took place on January 20, 1991.  Hence it is the 1991 AFC Championship game.   The Bills vs Denver AFC Championship game took place on January 12, 1992.

 

While it is sometimes considered the “1990 season,” this game took place in 1991...not 1990

 

It doesn't matter when the game was played, its still considered the previous year's season.

 

But don't let facts get in the way of your campaign. You are the only person on the planet that considers this the 1991 AFC Championship Game.

 

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/14637261/afc-championship-game-history

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1 hour ago, prissythecat said:

....

 

Your post is a bit out there.  Perhaps might have been better posted under @Thundersttike ?  How many times did Raiders turn the ball over that day? 7 times...  That’s what did them in.  It wasn’t a lack of a running game.

 

Also, Bo Jackson had osteonecrosis of the hip  that necessitated hip replacement.   I haven’t read anywhere that this happened to Tua. If it did, his football career would be over.

The damage he has leads to altered blood supply to the joint and then osteonecrosis.

1 hour ago, prissythecat said:

Unlike you , I don’t believe everything I read.  Show me an ortho doc who says that Tua has necrosis like Bo Jackson did ..  right now ,  all of the analysis I have seen is superficial and speculation 

Necrosis takes time to develop

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13 minutes ago, oldmanfan said:

The damage he has leads to altered blood supply to the joint and then osteonecrosis.

Necrosis takes time to develop

 

Fair enough .  But I recall that back in Bo’s day they did not initially make a big deal of his injury .  It was just another hip dislocation fracture until they found the complications from vessel damage  .  If Tua has the same vessel damage ,  then wouldn’t it be career ending?

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9 hours ago, whatdrought said:

I’m too young to know anything about this, but it’s hard to argue that one offensive player makes 48 point difference.

 

This is all you need to know, Junior. Bo was the greatest athlete I've ever seen. He threw out Harold Reynolds FROM THE WALL, WITHOUT A BOUNCE.

 

 

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Bo was a special player. I remember when he was injured. I had no idea it was going to be career ending. Hate to see that sort of thing.  That sure was one heck of a game if you are a Bills fan and I watched it numerous times over the years wish they could all end that way.  Little did we know there was some snotty nose kid named Tom Brady was going to come by a decade later and kick our ass for years to come.

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10 hours ago, Phil The Thrill said:

This might be a bit out there, but it is definitely topical.  The reporting of the initial Tua injury today is that it’s the same hip injury that ended Bo Jackson’s NFL career.  
 

Up until now, I completely forgot that his injury happened the week before the AFC Championship game with the Bills.  That Oakland Raiders team was very good and easily the 2nd best team in the AFC.

 

The Bills did beat them earlier in the season but Bo was not playing yet and a few fluky things happened.  
 

If you remember Bo Jackson was on a freaking tear in 1989 and 1990 average over 5 yards per carry.  Coupled with Marcus Allen and talents like Willie Gault and Tim Brown made a meh QB like Jay Schroeder look decent.  
 

What I’m wondering is - do you think that the game’s outcome is different if Bo Jackson was playing in that football game.  Based on his performance weeks earlier, I feel he’s certainly someone the the defense would need to game plan around.  
 

It’s interesting to think about because if the Bills don’t win in 1991, do they ever reach another Super Bowl?   It always seemed to me that the crushing way they lost at SB25 always motivated them to try to get back to the big game. In

 

I think any time your D gives up 51 points, the lack of an RB is not the biggest problem you face. 

Maybe it might have cut down the Oak turnovers from 7 to 4 or something and gained them another 100 yds and a TD

 

7 minutes ago, prissythecat said:

 

Fair enough .  But I recall that back in Bo’s day they did not initially make a big deal of his injury .  It was just another hip dislocation fracture until they found the complications from vessel damage  .  If Tua has the same vessel damage ,  then wouldn’t it be career ending?

 

It might be, but I believe they have more sophisticated tools to assess vessel damage immediately and potentially repair it nowadays.  Where's @Mr. WEO, this is his territory.

 

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1 hour ago, matter2003 said:

First of all you are referring to the 1990 AFC Championship Game not 1991....the Bills played the Broncos in 1991 and won a low scoring close affair 10-7 in a game where Elway was knocked out and the Bills had one of the worst offensive performances of the K Gun era only putting up 213 total yards...

 

1 hour ago, Phil The Thrill said:


No....you are incorrect.  The game we are talking about took place on January 20, 1991.  Hence it is the 1991 AFC Championship game.   The Bills vs Denver AFC Championship game took place on January 12, 1992.

 

While it is sometimes considered the “1990 season,” this game took place in 1991...not 1990

 

1 hour ago, matter2003 said:

 

It doesn't matter when the game was played, its still considered the previous year's season.

 

But don't let facts get in the way of your campaign. You are the only person on the planet that considers this the 1991 AFC Championship Game.

 

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/14637261/afc-championship-game-history

This is why they give the Super Bowl numbers. 

 

Everyone knew what the OP meant.  Just because ESPN lists the season by the year it starts doesn't make them correct.  I've seen other sources refer to it as the 1990-91 season and all other NFL seasons that have made it to January & February using both years, just like the NBA & NHL.   

 

Both of you are both right & wrong. 

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10 hours ago, Phil The Thrill said:

This might be a bit out there, but it is definitely topical.  The reporting of the initial Tua injury today is that it’s the same hip injury that ended Bo Jackson’s NFL career.  
 

Up until now, I completely forgot that his injury happened the week before the AFC Championship game with the Bills.  That Oakland Raiders team was very good and easily the 2nd best team in the AFC.

 

The Bills did beat them earlier in the season but Bo was not playing yet and a few fluky things happened.  
 

If you remember Bo Jackson was on a freaking tear in 1989 and 1990 average over 5 yards per carry.  Coupled with Marcus Allen and talents like Willie Gault and Tim Brown made a meh QB like Jay Schroeder look decent.  
 

What I’m wondering is - do you think that the game’s outcome is different if Bo Jackson was playing in that football game.  Based on his performance weeks earlier, I feel he’s certainly someone the the defense would need to game plan around.  
 

It’s interesting to think about because if the Bills don’t win in 1991, do they ever reach another Super Bowl?   It always seemed to me that the crushing way they lost at SB25 always motivated them to try to get back to the big game. In


 

Uuuuuuuh... NO! I was there!

 

The Bills won the opening coin toss — no surprise on this day — and they proceeded to run their no-huddle offense to perfection. They had the Raiders gasping so badly for air that after Buffalo had advanced 55 yards in five lightning-quick plays, the Raiders called timeout to regroup and catch their collective breath.

"That was the greatest feeling that I've ever had in a game other than putting points on the board," center Kent

 

Said Kelly: "I remember (Raiders defensive lineman) Howie Long telling me on that drive, 'Come on, Jim, slow down.' "

Kelly never did. Four plays after the timeout, Kelly dropped a shotgun snap, but was still able to scoop it up, escape danger, and throw a 13-yard touchdown pass to James Lofton and you knew something was up. The rout was on.

 

 

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31 minutes ago, prissythecat said:

 

Fair enough .  But I recall that back in Bo’s day they did not initially make a big deal of his injury .  It was just another hip dislocation fracture until they found the complications from vessel damage  .  If Tua has the same vessel damage ,  then wouldn’t it be career ending?

He was just hurt yesterday.  Give them time to do testing and such.

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59 minutes ago, Hapless Bills Fan said:

 

I think any time your D gives up 51 points, the lack of an RB is not the biggest problem you face. 

Maybe it might have cut down the Oak turnovers from 7 to 4 or something and gained them another 100 yds and a TD

 

 

It might be, but I believe they have more sophisticated tools to assess vessel damage immediately and potentially repair it nowadays.  Where's @Mr. WEO, this is his territory.

 


I appreciate the call out!  I’m not ortho but if Tua also suffered vascular injury and suffers avascular necrosis,  he’s done.  These are end vessels do I’m not sure how blow flow could be restored.  He would need hip replacement if this was the case, most likely.

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